Radiator valve



Sept. 6, 1932. w. B. MACKENTOSH RADIATOR VALVE Filed May .12, 1950 r INVENTOR. William B. Mackintosh A TTOQNEYS L thermally actuated by thermo-responsive m acter, the improvements residing primarily,

Patented Sept. 6, 1932 WILLIAM B. MACKINTOSH, OF WAIBASH, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO MINNEAPOLIS- HONEY- WELL REGULATOR COMPANY, DELAWARE OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION 01' RADIATOR VALVE Application filed m 12, man. Serial No. 451,583.

The present application relates, as indi cated, to radiator valves, and more particu larly to valves for controlling the flow of heating fluid to a radiator and adapted to be means comprising a part of the valve mechanism, but responding to room temperature. The primary object of the invention is to improve and simplify valves of this chari n refinements of construction. A further object of the invention is to provide a structure of the character described in which the heating fluid and the thermo-responsive fluid are 35 contained in separate chambers sealed from each other and separated from each other by an air space open to the atmosphere, where by heating fluid can never come into contact with any wall which is in contact with 20 the thermo-responsive fluid.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through an embodiment of my invention;

25 from the left of Fig. 1;-

so from the rightof Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the referencenumeral indicates a casing of the usual angle type ,and comprising an inlet 11, and outlet 12, a valve seat 9 between said inlet and outlet, and an externally threaded neck 13 substantially coaxial with the outlet port 12 and formed with a coaxial annular bead 14 for a purpose later to be described. Within the casing there is mounted a valve cup 15 receiving a valve head 16 for cooperation with the seat 9 and provided with a central threaded stud 17 upon which is mounted a spider or guide 18 snugly slidable in the outlet port 12 and secured in place 5 on said stud 17 by a nut 19.

The valve cup 15 is provided with an "annular flan e 20 to which is sealed one end of a bellows 21, the opposite end of which is sealed to an annulus 22. Said annulus 22 is adapted to be clamped between said head Fig. 2 is a reduced end elevation looking 39 11 and a collar 23, said collar being formed with an annular flange 24 swivelly engaged by an internal flange 25 on a hub 26 threaded for engagement with the neck 13.

A cup 27 formed with a part circumferential slot 29 and with a central aperture is sleeved over the outer end of thecollar 23,, the outer portion of said collar end being subsequently spun down as, at 28 to clamp said cup rigidly on said collar 23.

The valve cup 15 is formed with a'rearwardly projecting cylinder 30 internally threaded as at 31; and a stem'32 formed of heat insulating material, is provided at one end 33 with an externally threaded collar or head 34 secured in place by a pin 35, said head 34 being adjustably threaded in said cylinder 30.

A disk-shaped spring abutment 36 is seatt ed on the rim 37 of said cup 27 and is centrally formed with a socket 38 apertured to receive the stem 32. The socket 38 forms a centering seat for one end of a coiled spring 'A shell 40 is sleeved over the rim 37 of the cup 27 and is formed with an internal shoulder 41 between which, and said sprin abutment 36, is received a ring 42 to w ich is sealed one end of the bellows 43, the opposite end of which is sealed to aplate 44 provided with a central shallow socket 45. The seat for the opposite end of the spring 39 comprises a cylindrical member '46 internally threaded as at 47 for cooperation with a head 48 received on the end 49 of the stem 32; and a plate 50 formed with an annular cup 51 receiving the end of said spring 39. As will be obvious from an inspection of the drawing, the heads 34 and 48 are oppositely threaded, as are the members 30 and 46. The plate 50 is secured to the member 46 by a screw 52 the head of which is received and centered in the socket-45 of the'plate 44.

The shell 40 is formed with a reduced externally threaded end 53 on which is threaded a sleeve 54 formed with a plurality of apertures 55 to permit circulation of air therethrough. The outer end of said sleeve 55 receives a block 56 of heat insulating ma terial, the same being secured in place by screws 57 or other suitable'fastening means. A fluid container 58 is mounted in said block 56 and-is centrally provided with a nipple having a bore 59 receiving oneend of a tube 6 60, the opposite end of: which is received in a nipple mounted in the end of the shell 40 and formed with a bore 61, whereby the interiors of the container 58, the tube 60, and

the chamber 62 formed in the, shell 40 are loplaced in communication to form a single chamber one wall of which is the bellows 43.

, Ring 42 is solder-sealed in shell 40.

Two semi-cylindrical plates 63 are secured in place by the screws 64 which likewise hold 15 the shell 40 in place, the purpose oi the plates 63 being merely to give a finished appearance to the instrument, and one of said plates is formed with a part circumferential slot 65 registering with the slot 29 in the cup 27.

An operating handle 66 extends through the slots 29 and 65 and is supported by the plate 63. The inner end of said handle is ifurcated at 67 to cooperate with a polygonal portion 68 of the stem 32. I

It is to be noted that the present instrument comprises three separate and non-communicating chambers. The "firstof these is the chamber 62 adapted to contain thermoresponsive fluid, and of which the bellows 43 forms one wall. The second is the chamber 69 in the valve casing 10 adapted to contain-heating fluid, and of which the bellows 21-forms one wall. The third is the cham 'ber 70, open to the atmosphere through the slots 29 and 65, and of which the bellows 21 .forms one wall and the bellows 43 forms ail-- other wall. As will be obvious, the heating fluid in the chamber 69 is sealed from the Y chamber 70 .by the bellows; 21 and the therino-responsive fluid in the chamber 62 is sealed from the chamber 70 by the bellows I 43. Thusit is impossible for the heating fluid to come into contact with any wall which is .not separated by an, air space from 45 any wall" with which the thermo-responsive fluid is in contact. a The operation of the instrument should be apparent. -'lemperature changes in the air impinging upon the container 58 will result in volume changes in the fluid contained therein to effect movement of the bellows 43. The most eflicient thermo-responsive fluid forlusein this device is a readily volatilized iq t g and the'major volumes of tube 60 and chamber 58, a small surplus of the liquid being maintained in chamber 58. A

Expansion of the thermo-responsive fluid results in collapse of the bellows 43, to move the stem- 32 against the tendency of the spring 39 and thus to move the valve 16 toward its seat 9. Correspondingly, contraction of the thermo-responsive fluid permits the spring 39 to expand the bellows 43 by moving the I as stem 32- and its connected valve 16 toward from which fills chamber 62v the right, of the handle 66 rotates the stem 32 and, since the spring seat 46 and the valve cup 15 are held against rotation, such movement of the stem results in a variation of the distance between the valve head and the spring seat, thus varying'the degree of compression of the spring 39 necessary to close the valve 16, and thus determining the room temperature at which pressure produced in chamber 62 by volatilization of the thermo-responsive fluid will be suflicient to close valve 16 against the action of spring 39.

I claim:

1. Ina valve, a casing having an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat therebetween, a valve mounted in 'said casing for movement toward and away from said seat, a valve stem threadedly engaged, at its one end, with said valve, a spring seat on the opposite end of said stem an abutment stationarily mounted in said casing, a.

spring confined between said abutment and said spring seat, means preventing rotation of said valve, and means for rotating said stem.

2. In a valve, a casing having an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat therebetween, a valve mounted in said casing for movement toward and away from said seat, '-a valve stem threadedly engaged, at its one end, with as viewed in- Fig. 1. Oscillation threadedly engaged" said valve, a spring seat threadedly engaged on the opposite end of said stem, anabutment stationarily mounted in said casing, a

spring confined between said abutment and said spring seat, meanspreventing rotation of said spring seat and means for rotating said stem.

. 3. In a valve, a casing having an inlet and.

an outlet' and a valve seat therebetween, a valve mounted in'said casing for movement toward and away from said seat, a valve stem threadedly engaged, at its one end, with said valve, a spring seahthreadedly confined between said abutment and sai spring seat, means preventing rotation of said valve rotating said stem.

1. In a valve, a casing having. an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat therebetween,"a valve mounted in said casing for movement toward and away'from said seat, a valve stem threadedly engaged, at its one end, with said engaged on v the opposite end of said stem, an abutment stationarily mounted in said casing, a sprin and spring seat and means for between said abutment and saidvalve casing comprising an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat therebetween, a valve for cooperation with said seat, said casing being formed with an open neck coaxial with said seat, a bellows sealed at its one end to said valve and at its opposite end to an annulus, a collar, a hub swivelled on said collar and threaded on said neck to clamp said annulus between said collar and the end of said neck, a cup formed with'a part-annular peripheral slot and rigidly engaged on said collar, a disc-shaped spring abutment seated on the rim of said cup, a shell surrounding the rim of said cup and secured thereto, an internal shoulder on said shell and facing said cup, a ring engaging said shoulder and said abutment, a bel ows having its one end sealed to said ring, a plate sealed to the opposite end of said bellows, a stem having threaded engagement at its one end with said valve, a spring seat threaded on the opposite end of said stem and engaging said plate, a spring constrained between said abutment and said spring seat, and an operating handle extending through said slot and engaging said stem for rotating the same.

6. In a device of the class described, a valve casing comprising an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat therebetween, a valve for cooperation with said seat, said casing being formed with an open neck coaxial with-said seat, a bellows sealed at its one end to'said valve and at its opposite end to an annulus,

a collar, a hub swivelled on said collar and threaded on said neck to clamp said annulus between said collar and the end of said neck, a cup formed with a part-annular peripheral slot and rigidly engaged on said collar, a disc-shaped spring abutment seated on the rim of said cup, a shell surrounding the rim of said cup and secured thereto, an internal shoulder on said shell and facing said cup, a ring engaging said shoulder and said abutment, a bellows having its one end sealed to said ring, a plate sealed to the opposite end of said bellows, a stem having threaded engagement at its one end with said valve, said stem being formedwith an intermediate polygonal portion, a spring seat threaded on the opposite end of said stem and engaging said plate, a spring constrained between said abutment and said spring seat, and an operating handle extending through said slot bifurcated at its inner end for engagement with the polygonal portion of said stem.

7 In a valve, a casing having an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat therebetween, a

valve mounted in said casing for movement toward and away from said seat, a valve stem threadedly engaged, at its one end, with said valve, a spring'seat threadedly engaged on the opposite end of said stem, an abutment stationarily mounted in said casing, thermo-sensitive means including a bellows forming one wall of a fluid-containing chamber, a spring confined between said abutment and said spring seat, and urging the latter into contact with said bellows and means for rotating said stem.

8. In a valve, a casing having an inlet and an outlet and alvalve seat therebetween, a valve mounted in said casing for movement toward and away from said seat, a valve stem threadedly engaged, at its one end, with said valve, a spring seat threadedly engaged on the opposite end of said stem, an abutment stationarily mounted in said casing, a spring confined between said abutment and said spring seat and urging said valve away from its seat, ineans operable externally of said casing for varying thedistance between said valve and spring seat, and thermo-sensitive. means for moving said valve toward its seat and comprising a shell forming a chamber having an open end, a bellows closing said open end and engaging said stem, a container spaced from said shell, and a tube connecting said shell and said container, said tube being exposed to the atmosphere.

9. In a valve, a casing having an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat therebetween, a valve mounted in said casing for movement toward and away from said seat, a valve stem threadedly engaged, at its one end, with said valve, a spring seat threadedly engaged on the opposite end of said stem, an abutment stationarily mounted in said casing, a spring confined between said abutment and said spring seat and urging said valve away from its seat, means operable externally of said casing for varying the distance between said valve and spring seat, and thermosensitive means for moving said valve toward its seat and comprising a shell forming a chamber having an open end, a bellows closing said open end and engaging saidstem, an apertured housing mounted on said shell, a container carried at the free end of said housing, and a tube having its opposite ends connected to said chamber and said container, respectively, and having its intermediate portion coiled within said housing.

10. In a valve, a casing having an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat therebetween, a valve mounted in said casing for movement toward and away from said seat, a valve stem threadedly engaged, at its one end, with said valve, a spring seat threadedly engaged on the opposite end of said stem, an abutment stationarily mounted in said casing, a spring confined between said abutment and said spring seat andurging said valve away from its seat, means operable externally of said casing-for varying the distance between ed to said chamber and said container, respectively, and having its intermediate portion coiled within said housing, and a highly volatile fluid filling the space comprising said chamber, tube, and container in sufficient volume to provide a small amount of liquid in said space when the distance between said valve and said spring seat is a minimum and said valve is closed.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Wabash, Indiana, this 30th day of April, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and thlrty. J

WILLIAM B. MACKINTOSH. 

